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• PRO

  Gary RK April 26, 2012 at 8:04pm

  Go to a builders merchant and buy a 8*4 sheet of correx ( a couple of £s). Will fold up, lightweight and can easily stored in roof of van using a couple of bungee cords. We use a couple of bits of duct tape to temp stick correx sheet over delicate windows.
  
  http://www.cordek.com/default/docrepo//Correx%20-%20The%20Protectio...
• 

  Michael long April 26, 2012 at 8:15pm

  many thanks will do, it's a lot cheaper than a new window
  
  Gary RK said:

  Go to a builders merchant and buy a 8*4 sheet of cordex ( a couple of £s). Will fold up, lightweight and can easily stored in roof of van using a couple of bungee cords. We use a couple of bits of duct tape to temp stick cordex sheet over delicate windows.
• 

  Chris Auld April 26, 2012 at 9:03pm

  But the mower can still fire out stones.
  
  Paul @ PPCH Services said:

  I use still FS400 and FS450 for all striming work, both big machines. In 9 years Ive yet to break any glass. All i do and insist anyone working for me does is to work anti clockwise to what is being edged and use very low revs near windows cars etc. In fact the only time I ever open the throttle up wide is when cutting very long lush grass.

  By working anti clockwise to the edge the grass, stones etc are thrown to the lawn side not outwards.
• PRO

  Gary RK April 26, 2012 at 9:10pm

  And they can richocet off adjacent walls and obstacles........
  
  Be a boy scout and be prepared..thats my motto :-)
  
  For us, it shows we are taking reasonable precautions on a commercial site.
  
  P.s. we have a site that has specially made curved glass office walls. Each pane costs £10k each....6 pieces of correx at £2 a sheet gives immense piece of mind......
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  Paul McNulty April 26, 2012 at 9:26pm

  Like Paul, in twenty-plus years I've not had any damage from strimming. I'm incredibly careful near any glass, it horrifies me how some people use strimmers on full-speed around gravel areas, trees etc. I appreciate that I'll be smashing glass all day tomorrow for being so smug!

  With mowing I include a clause in my terms and conditions to say "please keep the lawn free from any objects such as stones, golf balls etc. that could be thrown up by my machinery. Any damage caused is not covered by my insurance and can result in expensive damage to my equipment that may be charged to the tenant". I'm very careful to avoid taking on contracts where there are obvious risks, and I always point out anything I feel could be a potential risk to the client in advance. I have added £30 for a new mower blade to a client's bill before when they allowed their kids to put stones on the lawn and didn't clear them up.

  In answer to the OP, what was thrown up by the mower? Was is unavoidable, or how do you feel it was your fault and not the clients? Was it a pure accident and you should share the cost to keep them happy? You can't be responsible for wrapping the whole site in cotton wool before you start every job!

  I'm talking here about regular contracts. Of course it might be worth spending extra time and money protecting windows if it's a one-off major job.
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  briggsandscrapem April 26, 2012 at 9:34pm

  You can brazen it out if you want and refuse to pay up as they are the ones who instructed you to mow the grass and the broken window is a result of the mowing operation. If it starts getting legal then don't forget to say that you made a visual inspection of the lawn for foreign objects before mowing and couldn't find any.

  Alternatively, i am aware of a gardener (not me) who always carries a couple of golf balls in his van and upon breaking a window then leaves said golf ball on the ground nearby. The result, no awkward phone calls.
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  Austin Powell-Allen April 26, 2012 at 10:43pm

  I always do a walk check and remove sticks, stones and inform owner of any dog poo prior to cutting there lawns.
  
  Chris Auld said:

  But the mower can still fire out stones.
  
  Paul @ PPCH Services said:

  I use still FS400 and FS450 for all striming work, both big machines. In 9 years Ive yet to break any glass. All i do and insist anyone working for me does is to work anti clockwise to what is being edged and use very low revs near windows cars etc. In fact the only time I ever open the throttle up wide is when cutting very long lush grass.

  By working anti clockwise to the edge the grass, stones etc are thrown to the lawn side not outwards.
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  Lawncare-4u.co.uk April 27, 2012 at 2:43am

  i agree with paul. 

  but with mower after no smashes in 9 yrs i then smashed my own car drivers side window with my mower on grass nearby :(
  
  Chris Auld said:

  But the mower can still fire out stones.
  
  Paul @ PPCH Services said:

  I use still FS400 and FS450 for all striming work, both big machines. In 9 years Ive yet to break any glass. All i do and insist anyone working for me does is to work anti clockwise to what is being edged and use very low revs near windows cars etc. In fact the only time I ever open the throttle up wide is when cutting very long lush grass.

  By working anti clockwise to the edge the grass, stones etc are thrown to the lawn side not outwards.
• 

  Colin Hunt April 27, 2012 at 6:32am

  Vigilance is all part of the job.  We use ply when breaking up concrete etc, but I like the corex idea, will give it a go.

  
  
  Austin Powell-Allen said:

  I always do a walk check and remove sticks, stones and inform owner of any dog poo prior to cutting there lawns.
  
  Chris Auld said:

  But the mower can still fire out stones.
  
  Paul @ PPCH Services said:

  I use still FS400 and FS450 for all striming work, both big machines. In 9 years Ive yet to break any glass. All i do and insist anyone working for me does is to work anti clockwise to what is being edged and use very low revs near windows cars etc. In fact the only time I ever open the throttle up wide is when cutting very long lush grass.

  By working anti clockwise to the edge the grass, stones etc are thrown to the lawn side not outwards.